Bestselling author and St. Louis native Scott Alexander Hess will discuss his latest novel with filmmaker Geoff Story at Spine Bookstore (1976 Arsenal Street) on December 18. Publisher Rebel Satori released A Season in Delhi as the first of its new Bijou Book collection — a numbered series of shorter works, novellas and novelettes. They describe the pocket-sized books as “petite literary gems.”
Hess, who resides in New York City, is known for his evocative works that focus on gay relationships. The author has a profound ability to drop the reader into a scene, be it an intimate conversation between best friends or a night swim in the Mississippi in search of relief from a sweltering 19th century St. Louis. A Season in Delhi, which is Hess’ seventh novel, was inspired by the author’s 2019 visits to India with his husband, who was there on business.
“Experiencing Delhi’s frenetic, vibrant energy, intense spiritual devotion and visible divide between privilege and poverty was a truly visceral, profoundly moving experience,” Hess says. “But what really inspired the idea and emotional heart of A Season in Delhi was how I felt being in Delhi as a recently married gay man. The people I encountered throughout my trip presumptively assigned me the role of wife. I was initially surprised that there did not appear to be judgment of the fact that we were an out gay couple. The clear designation as my role as wife, though, came as a surprise, and felt unshakeable.
He continues, “This was evident the first day we were in Delhi. While my husband and I were shopping, a saleswoman followed me through the store calling me ‘Mrs.’ and repeating that my husband needed to buy me a bejeweled handbag. Similarly, at a rug emporium, the vendor pulled me aside, speaking softly, telling me how much my husband would enjoy making love to me on a new rug, and I could surely convince him to do it.”
A Season in Delhi involves a fictional gay couple’s extended stay in India, the narrator’s internal discoveries and his torment over a recent affair. While gardening, the narrator unearths the secret journal — hidden since 1950 — of a diplomat's wife named Carol whose journey and turmoil echoes his own.
Just as Hess gives readers something extra with the Carol plotline, he’ll give his Spine engagement something extra with a drag performance from the fresh and dynamic Manna Steticçc Highland, who performs all over town and directs the Friday night show at Grey Fox. The event will run from 6 to 8 p.m.
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